GATESVILLE, Texas –– The Coryell City Osage Volunteer Fire Department now operates with a converted
military truck thanks to the DoD Firefighter Property Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.
The program, managed nationally by the USDA Forest Service, provides excess military equipment to fire
departments and emergency service providers.
“Our area generally has a lot of brush fires,” Fire Chief Monty Sanders said. “One of our trucks is out of service,
so we applied for a larger truck that can carry more water. This converted truck has a 1,000-gallon water
tank.”
Recipients of this excess property are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of
acquisition.
“We painted the truck and added a tank and pump,” Sanders said. “Our old truck could only carry 400 gallons of
water. It was old and outdated, and we were putting more money into the truck than what it was worth.”
The truck can handle larger ravines and even mountainsides, according to Sanders. It will get into areas that the
smaller trucks can’t service.
Launched in Texas in 2005, the DoD FFP Program has released over 300 retired military trucks to VFDs across the
state to help them better protect lives and property.
“This is an excellent program for VFDs that can’t afford to purchase trucks through the normal avenue because of
lack of money,” Sanders said. “It is good for small departments because they don’t have to invest so much money
to get a very useful truck.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.